Information retrieval device



United States Patent 3,210,866 INFORMATION RETRIEVAL DEVICE John 0. Brunelle, Minneapolis, Minn, assign-or of onehalf to Felix J. Bnrnelle, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Sept. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 307,627 4 Claims. (Cl. 35-74) This invention has relation to a device for retrieving already recorded information and more particularly to a circular slide device that includes disks having the statistical information of each player on the roster of a particular baseball team printed thereon and adapted to fit within a housing and be rotated so that the individual statistics on each player can be determined.

Baseball fans across the country are vitally concerned with the statistics of each player on the ball clubs. The fans find that having these statistics readily available for reference when they are watching a particular club play will increase their enjoyment and understanding of the game. However, with ten tea-m leagues and a large number of players on each team it is impossible to memorize the statistics and it is diflicult to know these various statistics on each player even for your favorite team.

In addition to statistics on fielders and hitters, the various statistics on pitchers are also of interest. While it is possible to take along a book to the game which contains all of the necessary information, the books are hard to refer to when individual players come to ones attention and the fan usually wants the information promptly.

The device of the present invention presents a slide type device comprising an outer circular housing having a plurality of windows therein and having provision for inserting disks that will rotate with respect to the housing. Each of the disks contains pictures, names, and the necessary or desired statistics on the indivdual players on the ball club. By rotating the device until the desired players picture appears at 21 provided window the players statistics will appear at other provided windows on the housing. The housing is provided with openings on both sides thereof so that the disk may be inserted into the housing back to back, and the vital statistics on the players on the two teams which are playing can be obtained quickly. The statistics are easily visible and readable.

Further, the housing contains a suitable mechanism so that the information cards or disks can be readily interchanged.

It is an object of the present invention to present a device from which complete statistical information relative to individual baseball players can be obtained in a short while.

It is a further object of the present invention to present a device which will store statistical information on the ball players of two teams at one time.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a baseball statistical information storing device made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken as on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the device in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a statistic retrieving device illustrated generally at includes a circular outer housing 11. The outer housing is comprised of two disk-shaped walls 12 and 13, respectively which are joined together through an arcuate spacer 14. The spacer 14 is a thin arcuate portion and extends substantially 180 around the housing.

First and second information bearing cards or disks 15 and 16, respectively, which are of smaller diameter than the housing walls, are rotatably mounted between the first and second housing walls 12 and 13. The information disks 15 and 16 are of size so that they clear the inner edge of the spacer 14.

A driving hub 17 has a center support shaft 20 extending therefrom and a pair of drive pins 21, 21 fastened thereto. The drive shaft 20 and the drive pins 21, 21 extend through a large opening 22 in first housing wall 12. The opening 22 is of size so that the drive pins can rotate without difiiculty. The shaft 20 is inserted through provided openings 23, 23 in the information disks 15 and 16. The openings 23 snugly fit the shaft 20 and the disks are carried by the shaft. The drive pins 21, 21 are inserted through provided openlugs 24 in the disks 15 and 16. The openings 24 also snugly receive the drive pins 21.

A boss 25 is fixedly attached to outside surface of the second housing wall 13 and has a center opening 26 in which the shaft 20 is rotatably mounted. The boss 25 thus supports the shaft 20 and the information disks 15 and 16. the shaft 20 has an annular groove 27 pro vided adjacent the outer end thereof. A locking slide 28 that has a longitudinal slot 29 provided therein is slidably mounted in a transverse slot 30 of the boss 25. The portions of the locking slide 28 defining the slot 29 pass within the groove 27 and the slide retains the shaft from being pulled out. The locking slide 28 can be removed as shown in FIG. 3 and the shaft 20 is easily removed from the housing to change information disks.

The boss 25 has an annular groove 33 provided therein on the end against the housing wall for permitting the end portions of the locking pins 21, 21 to move freely there around. It will be noted that the second housing Wall 13 also has an opening 34 which is of the same size as opening 22 in the first wall 12. The boss 25 has a shallow cone surface 35 surrounding the opening 26 for the shaft 20 at the end of the boss against wall 13. The surface 35 provides a tapered guide for the end of shaft 20 so that it can be inserted into opening 26 easily when the information cards or disks 15 and 16 are being changed.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 the housing walls 12 and 13 are provided with a plurality of windows or openings illustrated generally at 36 defined thereth-rough. The positions of corresponding windows of housing walls 12 and 13 are reversed from each other so that the same information disks can be used behind either of the walls. The housing walls are provided with an enlarged or key opening 37 at the top thereof through which the picture 38 or name 41 of a baseball player will appear. The statistics on the player will then appear at the small or subsidiary openings or windows 36 in the housing wall. The windows are labeled and the proper statistic for the player whose picture appears at the desired window 37 will show. In addition, the window of the housing Walls can be arranged so that at the center section of each wall the windows will have two labels, one set 42 for fielders and another set 43 for pitchers. As the desired information for fielders and pitchers are different, the windows serve double purpose.

By rotating the information disks until the proper picture appears in window 37 the necessary statistics on that player can be obtained. The disks are easily replaced and by utilizing one disk for each major league team, a fan who goes to a game can have the information on all of the players on the two teams at his finger tips and readily available. The changing of disks is very easy. The locking slide is readily removed from the boss and the tapered surface surrounding the opening in the boss for shaft 20 makes the re-insertion of the shaft very easy.

What is claimed is:

1. An information retrieval device comprising:

(a) a. housing having a pair of walls substantially parallel and spaced from each other,

(b) an arcuate spacer interposedly situated between said Walls, said spacer extending along the inner peripheral edge portions of said Walls and for a portion of the perimeter thereof,

(c) said walls each having a key opening therethrough and a plurality of subsidiary openings therethrough,

(d) a pair of informtaion bearing disks mounted back to back in said housing and each facing one of said walls,

(e) a stationary boss mounted on the outside surface of a first of said walls, said boss forming a means for holding said device in its operative position,

(f) means cooperating with said boss for mounting and also rotatably driving said information bearing disks within said housing, said means including a hub position outside a second of said walls, an elongated shaft fixedly mounted on said hub and extending through the space between said walls, said shaft being rotatably mounted in said boss, said cooperating means being adapted to be readily dismantled from said boss to enable said information bearing disks to be removed and replaced by additional information bearing disks.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said cooperating means includes releasable latch means for holding said shaft in said boss.

3. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein said releasable latch means for said shaft is comprised as an annular recess adjacent the end of said shaft, and a slide member having a groove defined therein, said slide member being mounted on said boss for movement transverse to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, the portions of said slide member defining said groove being adapted to fit within the annular recess in said shaft and hold said shaft from axial movement.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein the means to drive said disks is comprised as a pair of pins fastened to said hub and extending substantially parallel to said shaft, said pins being insertable into provided openings in said information bearing disks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,516,315 11/24 Skelly 4070 1,728,584 9/29 Wright 35-74 1,992,366 2/35 Fisher 35-74 2,065,424 12/36 Brubaker 35-74 2,851,802 9/58 Archambault et al. 4070 3,058,653 10/62 Des Granges 235-88 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. AN INFORMATION RETRIEVAL DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, (B) AN ARCUATE SPACER INTERPOSEDLY SITUATED BETWEEN SAID WALLS, SAID SPACER EXTENDING ALONG THE INNER PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS AND FOR A PORTION OF THE PERIMETER THEREOF, (C) SAID WALLS EACH HAVING A KEY OPENING THERETHROUGH AND A PLURAITY OF SUBSIDIARY OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, (D) A PAIR OF INFORMATION BEARING DISKS MOUNTED BACK TO BACK IN SAID HUSING AND EACH FACING ONE OF SAID WALLS, (E) A STATIONARY BOSS MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF A FIRST OF SAID WALLS, SAID BOSS FORMING A MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID DEVICE IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, (F) MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID BOSS FOR MOUNTING AND ALSO ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID INFORMATION BEARING DISKS WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A HUB POSITION OUTSIDE A SECOND OF SAID WALLS, AN ELONGATED SHAFT FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID HUB AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID WALLS, SAID SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BOSS, SAID COOPERATING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE READILY DISMANTLED FROM SAID BOSS TO ENABLE SAID INFORMATION BEARING DISKS TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED BY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEARING DISKS. 